𝙸𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚎 | Divergent

Chapter 14

Blinking, I frowned at the soapy plate in my hands, I hadn't washed it before I had left the house that morning.

Why was I washing them now?

I wasn't supposed to be here. I was supposed to escape. 

The front door slammed, startling me from my thoughts, echoing throughout the silent house, his footsteps stalked towards the kitchen. My father rounded the corner and froze, his mouth set in a frown as his eyes fixed on me with a dark look. I shied away from his gaze, glancing down at my feet which were clad in my dauntless boots, all my clothing was black. Marcus wouldn't like that.

"How dare you!" He screamed, spittle flying from his mouth "how dare you, you disrespectful bitch!"

My back slammed against the cupboard door, I heard the plate smash, the world rocked around me as my boots slid across the porcelain littered ground.

"I could kill you right now and no one will ever even notice." He hissed, a hand landing on a larger shard of pottery "you are nothing."

I raked my nails down his face, a twisted, inhumane shriek escaped his gaping jaw, the room plunged into darkness as I scrambled backwards. A low chuckle echoed through the darkness, I spun around and launched myself towards the front door. Nails dug into my wrist, it felt like blades sinking through the delicate skin, and yanked. The popping of my shoulder was unmistakable, I screamed against my clenched teeth.

Grinning, Marcus stared down at me, his dark blue eyes black in the light, he raised the broken pottery to my throat, heat poured down my chest, the blood coated my skin and seeped into my clothing, I gagged on the thick, metallic liquid in my mouth.

I can't breath.

I can't breath.

I can't breath.

.:.

I woke up, terrified, with my hands clutched around my throat.

My first thought was to escape the person next to me, they were too real in the line that straddled fact and fiction, they gripped my arm, I didn't think twice about turning and punching them. A grunt followed by a string of curses whispered under their breath, I pushed myself back until I came into contact with the cool surface of the wall. Squinting, I let my eyes adjust as the person flicked on the light.

Eric was there, perpetually calm, I had obviously woken him up with my screaming and punching him certainly hadn't helped. 

During the day I fought my fears well, during the night the battle had a more ambiguous winner, they had escaped from their confines and invaded every shadowy corner and waited for the moment I closed my eyes. Eric was the only constant, he was there living through my fears and talking me through them afterwards, after the first nightmare he brought a box of chamomile tea and a cup was always placed on my bedside table before bed. I appreciated the sentiment, however futile it may have been.

I barely saw Maddie or Jake, or any of the other initiates, though when I did they looked as drained as I did.

To my surprise, Eric was the force of stoic calmness I needed within my training, never being outright cruel, but never being particularly pleasant either.

"Sasha, are you okay?" Eric asked, he inched closer, for a moment he looked like he was going to reach for my trembling hands, before thinking better of it. "It wasn't real, you're here with me."

I nodded, clenching and unclenching my hands into fists as tears clung to my cheeks and the end of my nose.

"C'mere." he whispered though made no effort to reach me, I shuffled closer and rested my head against his chest.